1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to controllers of the type used and held by two hands simultaneously to control visual imagery shown on a visual display. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a two hand held controller with analog pressure sensor(s) for controlling video game imagery thereof, and other electronically generated imagery. Methods of use and manufacturing are also disclosed.
2. Description of the related Prior Art
There are many prior art game controllers for use in controlling imagery. A typical prior art game controller is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,426 issued May 4, 1993 to Y. Inoue et al and assigned to Nintendo Co. Ltd. The Nintendo controller is a typical example of a game controller having multiple inputs capable of manipulating multiple-axes, such as with the included cross-shaped rocker key pad, and numerous buttons and depressible surfaces. The Nintendo controller includes a housing sized to be grasped and held simultaneously by two hands of a human user with thumbs of the grasping hands remaining free of grasping responsibilities; the housing including a right-hand area and a left-hand area, the right-hand area being an area for grasping by the user""s right hand, the left-hand area being an area for grasping by the user""s left hand; a plurality of depressible surfaces (e.g., buttons and cross-shaped key pad) each at least in-part supported by the housing and each at least in-part exposed on the housing in at least one area for operation by the user""s thumbs and fingers. The plurality of depressible surfaces (most of the depressible surfaces) are positioned on the housing to be within reach of the user""s thumbs with the user""s hands grasping the housing; each depressible surface or member of the plurality of depressible surfaces or members is individually operatively associated with an individual electricity manipulating device (e.g., a simple momentary-On switch to close an opening in a circuit), one electricity manipulating device per each depressible surface of the plurality of depressible surfaces. Each electricity manipulating device (momentary-on switch) is contained at least in-part within the housing and capable of electrical output manipulation upon physically applied depressive pressure on the associated depressible surface. The switches (electricity manipulating devices) are either On or Off and provide corresponding all or nothing outputs. These simple On/Off switches are not used to provide the user proportional or analog control.
Although there have been tens of millions of such prior art controllers as described above sold by numerous manufacturers despite the significant disadvantages of simple On/Off controls, I believe such a controller can be improved, so does Nintendo Co. Ltd. In a more recent game controller sold by Nintendo, referred to as the N64 controller, the controller has incorporated in a center portion a proportional joystick having rotary optical encoders to achieve the proportional effect. The proportional joystick is applied in an attempt to overcome the significant disadvantages of the four simple On/Off switches located under the typical cross-shaped rocker pad. The proportional joystick includes at least two major disadvantages which are overcome by the present invention. The first disadvantage is cost of manufacture, and the second is confusion of the user. In an controller to be made in millions of units, two relatively expensive optical encoders, a complex gimble, multiple mechanical parts specific for the joystick, etc. creates an additional substantial cost which is very high. The second disadvantage is confusion of the user in that the typical user has become commonly accustomed to use of the cross-shaped key pad with the left thumb. The presentation of the option of the proportional joystick with the N64 controller often leads to confusion as whether to use the cross-shaped key pad or the joystick, especially for beginning users and potential buyers.
Clearly there is great advantage to the user""s enjoyment of the game by allowing the user proportional or variable control.
The primary emphasis of this disclosure is to teach analog pressure sensor(s) embodiment in a controller having only a single housing structured to be held in the user""s two hands simultaneously. Nevertheless, a joystick type of controller can be greatly advantaged by embodiment of analog sensors as described herein. The joystick type controller may be held in two hands simultaneously but it is not a single housing held in two hands. Rather, a joystick includes two housings, a base housing and a handle housing neither of which are designed to be held in two hands simultaneously. The joystick type controller may be greatly advantaged by inclusion of depressible surfaces (buttons and/or triggers) operating analog sensors as described herein. Such embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art with a study of this disclosure. On the other hand, mouse type controllers have a single housing but the single housing is not designed to be held in two hands simultaneously and therefore such type controllers are not considered relevant to the present invention.
Other related prior art of which I am aware and believe to be cumulative to the aforementioned includes the following U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,200 issued Aug. 18, 1987; U.S. Pat. No. 5,644,113 issued Jul. 1, 1997; U.S. Pat. No. 5,602,569 issued Feb. 11, 1997; U.S. Pat. No. 4,469,330 issued Sep. 4, 1984; U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,487 issued Oct. 17, 1995. Also U.S. Pat. No. 5,565,891 issued Oct. 15, 1996 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,589,828 issued Dec. 31, 1996 to the present Inventor.
The present invention solves the aforementioned disadvantages and provides significant additional benefits and advantages.
The following summary and detailed description is of preferred structures and best modes for carrying out the invention, and although there are clearly variations which could be made to that which is specifically herein described and shown in the included drawings, for the sake of brevity of this disclosure, all of these variations and changes which fall within the true scope of the present invention have not been herein detailed, but will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of this disclosure.
The present invention involves the use of structures (pressure sensors) having pressure-sensitive variable-conductance material across proximal circuit traces in order to provide variable output. Such variable output is useful for control of action intensity of electronic imagery in proportion to applied physical pressure in the depression of familiar control surfaces of a two hand held game controller. Improved methods pertaining to using and manufacturing game controllers are also herein disclosed.
Applied physical pressure is provided by a user of the present controller depressing a button or like depressible surface (e.g., cross-shaped key pad or finger depressible trigger which is commonly a pivotal member) which applies pressure onto pressure-sensitive variable-conductance material which, dependant upon the applied pressure, alters its conductivity (i.e., resistive or rectifying properties dependant on pressure sensor material utilized) and thereby provides analog electrical output proportional to the applied pressure. The analog electrical output of the variable-conductance material is output to an image generation machine as a signal at least representational of the analog electrical output for controlling electronic imagery.
Examples of use of the invention (controller) in a game for control of action intensity of the electronic imagery can be to simply have a simulated character walk with low depressive pressure applied, walk faster with increased depressive pressure applied, and run with a relatively high depressive pressure applied to a single depressible surface depressible individual button of the controller in accordance with the present invention. The user can choose the action intensity of imagery by applying appropriate depressive pressure to depressible surfaces of the depressible individual buttons of the controller. In a second example, a race car can veer slightly with a low depressive pressure and turn sharply with a high depressive pressure. In an example of typical right thumb use (or finger of the right hand as is typical in joystick use) of the controller, variable depressive pressure can control variable fire rate of a gun or variable jumping height of a character, etc.
The present invention in one embodiment involves a game controller sized and shaped to be grasped and held simultaneously by two hands of a human user with thumbs of the grasping hands remaining substantially free of grasping responsibilities. The thumbs are used in depressing a plurality of depressible surfaces, the depressible surfaces each at least in-part exposed on the housing outer surface. A plurality of electricity manipulating devices are contained within the housing in operable association with the plurality of depressible surfaces for manipulating electrical outputs with depression by the thumbs (or fingers) of the plurality of depressible surfaces and physical pressure applied by the depression. One or more of the electricity manipulating devices are analog pressure-sensitive variable-conductance electrical devices (sensors) for varying electrical output proportional to varying physical pressure applied by the user""s thumb or fingers.
The controller of this disclosure, which can be used and manufactured as herein described, is a controller which the user holds or grasps in both hands simultaneously during operation (depressing of depressible surfaces) of the controller, and the two handed holding provides advantages for certain imagery manipulations which cannot be obtained with single hand held controllers such as a mouse. The ability to use and the actual use of two hands simultaneously on a controller allows what I call xe2x80x9cfull involvementxe2x80x9d of the user, wherein the user can involve both hands in the control of imagery and utilizing, in general terms, the specialized abilities of the differentiated halves of his or her brain. Typically the left half of the brain of a user mostly controls the right arm and hand, and the right half of the brain mostly controls the left arm and hand. Generally speaking, for most users of a controller, it is much more intuitive and natural to use the right hand digits for certain types of control functions, such as for example, critical timing of functions such as those associated with firing a simulated gun, or precise timing in jumping of a simulated character of an electronic game. Typically, the left hand and digits are used to control functions which are more spatial in nature, such as for aiming functions which might be associated with steering a simulated car, airplane or controlling directional movement of a character such as the running direction of a simulated person. The present two hand held controller allows for placement of depressible control surfaces for certain functions in areas of the controller which are generally most suitable for typical human users. Additionally, a two handed controller provides the user the advantageous ability to hold the controller in both hands with the controller in the user""s lap or held in front of the user and free of the constraints of needing a desk top or like surface on which to rest the controller.
An object of the present invention is to provide a game controller having thumb or finger (digit) depressible pressure-sensitive proportional (i.e. analog) control(s), thus the user can control the action intensity of the game imagery by the degree of pressure exerted on a depressible surface.
Another object of the present invention is to provide the above in a structural arrangement familiar to current game controller users, thus no secondary expensive proportional joystick is required when proportional controls are applied to a cross-shaped rocker key pad.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive to manufacture analog input controller.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a game controller in which right hand thumb buttons may also be pressure-sensitive proportional (analog input) control(s).
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of using a game controller connected to an image generation machine with visual display, in which a user depresses depressible surfaces using hand digits on a game controller to manipulate imagery on the display, wherein depressing of at least one of the depressible surfaces with varying degrees of pressure manipulates imagery of the display in proportion to the degree of depressive pressure.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of controlling action intensity of imagery within a visual display of the type associated with an electronic game allowing user manipulation of action of imagery within the visual display by way of depressing a depressible surface onto a pressure-sensitive variable-conductance sensor connected to electronics within a two hand held game controller linked to an image generation machine such as a game console or computer which in turn is linked to the display, and wherein depressing of a depressible surface with varying degrees of pressure varies the conductance of the pressure-sensitive variable-conductance sensor, thereby the action intensity of the imagery can be proportional to the degree of depressive pressure.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of manufacturing a two hand held type game controller including installing pressure-sensitive variable-conductance material for varying electrical output of circuitry in proportion to user applied pressure to a depressible surface.
These, as well as additional objects and advantages will become increasingly appreciated with continued reading and with a review of the included drawings.